Calls For Peace And Flashes Of Anger After U.s. And Israeli Attacks On Iran

BRUSSELS — Three adjacent friends of nan United States said Sunday that they are fresh to subordinate forces to take sides their interests successful nan Middle East and extremity Iran’s retaliatory rocket and drone strikes aft nan sidesplitting of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, arsenic others astir nan world raised concerns that nan conflict sparked by coordinated U.S.-Israeli attacks could dispersed into a wider war.

Britain, France and Germany said they were prepared to activity pinch nan United States.

“We will return steps to take sides our interests and those of our friends successful nan region, perchance done enabling basal and proportionate protect action to destruct Iran’s capacity to occurrence missiles and drones astatine their source,” their connection said. “We person agreed to activity together pinch nan US and friends successful nan region connected this matter.”

Massive explosions rocked nan Iranian superior for a 2nd time arsenic Israel’s subject said it was targeting nan “heart” of Tehran. Iran pressed on, targeting Israel and U.S. subject bases successful Persian Gulf states.

Iranian officials hurried to scheme a early aft nan decease of Khamenei, who had nary designated successor, arsenic immoderate Iranians who had agelong suffered from governmental repression celebrated.

On streets astir nan world, location were protests successful outrage aliases bursts of celebration.

Allies will activity pinch U.S. to take sides interests

The connection by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they were “appalled” by Iran’s “reckless” strikes connected their allies, which frighten their work members and citizens successful nan region.

A drone onslaught damaged a hangar astatine a French naval guidelines astatine nan larboard of Abu Dhabi, France’s defense curate said. British Defense Minister John Healey said Iranian rocket and drone strikes came wrong a fewer 100 yards of a group of 300 British subject unit successful Bahrain.

Healey besides said 2 missiles were fired successful nan guidance of Cyprus, wherever nan U.K. has bases, though a Cyprus authorities spokesperson said connected societal media those reports were not valid.

Top diplomats from nan 27 European Union nations were holding an emergency gathering to talk nan business and adjacent steps for nan bloc.

“The decease of Ali Khamenei is simply a defining infinitesimal successful Iran’s history. What comes adjacent is uncertain,” EU overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas said. “But location is now an unfastened way to a different Iran, 1 that its group whitethorn person greater state to shape.”

Pope Leo XIV said he was “profoundly concerned” astir nan U.S. and Israeli strikes connected Iran and urged some sides to “stop nan spiral of unit earlier it becomes an irreparable abyss.”

Iran is urged to ‘return to your senses’

Perhaps cautious astir upsetting already strained relations pinch President Trump, galore nations, including respective successful nan Middle East, refrained from commenting straight aliases pointedly connected nan associated strikes but condemned Tehran’s retaliation.

The 22-nation Arab League called nan Iranian attacks “a blatant usurpation of nan sovereignty of countries that advocator for bid and strive for stability.” That conjugation of nations has historically condemned some Israel and Iran for actions it says consequence destabilizing nan region.

“Return to your senses ... and woody pinch your neighbors pinch logic and work earlier nan circle of isolation and escalation widens,” Anwar Gargash, an advisor to nan United Arab Emirates’ president, said, addressing nan Iranian theocracy.

The UAE closed its embassy successful Iran and announced nan withdrawal of its negotiated ngo aft Iranian strikes deed nan country.

Russia and China knock nan sidesplitting of Khamenei

Russian leader Vladimir Putin denounced Khamenei’s killing, which he called “a cynical usurpation of each norms of quality morality and world law.”

China’s overseas minister, successful a telephone telephone pinch his Russian counterpart, said, “The blatant sidesplitting of nan leader of a sovereign authorities and nan incitement of authorities alteration are unacceptable,” according to China’s charismatic Xinhua News Agency. “These actions break world rule and nan basal norms governing world relations,” Wang Yi told Sergei Lavrov, nan news agency said.

Wang said attacking a sovereign authorities without U.N. Security Council authorization undermines nan instauration for bid established aft World War II.

Some protestation and others celebrate

At slightest 22 group were killed successful clashes pinch constabulary successful bluish Pakistan and successful nan confederate larboard metropolis of Karachi aft hundreds of protesters stormed nan U.S. Consulate there, authorities said.

In Iraq, hundreds wore achromatic and waved flags belonging to Iran-backed Iraqi militias and reddish flags that symbolize vengeance successful nan Shiite Muslim religion arsenic they marched crossed Sadr City to decry nan sidesplitting of Khamenei.

Anger flashed astatine protests successful Istanbul and among Shiite Muslims successful India.

Demonstrations were besides held successful cities including New York, Berlin, Paris and Vienna by members of nan Iranian diaspora and their supporters, celebrating nan extremity of Khamenei’s rule. Some demonstrators waved flags of nan pre-1979 Iranian monarchy, pinch Israeli and U.S. flags besides connected display.

Ciobanu, McNeil and Metz constitute for nan Associated Press and reported from Warsaw, Brussels and Ramallah, West Bank, respectively. AP journalists astir nan world contributed to this report.